CN111902594B

CN111902594B - Electronic article monitoring label and method for sticking electronic article monitoring label on article

Info

Publication number: CN111902594B
Application number: CN201980011589.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 阿兰·法维尔
Original assignee: All Tag
Current assignee: All Tag
Priority date: 2018-02-05
Filing date: 2019-01-31
Publication date: 2022-01-28
Anticipated expiration: 2039-01-31
Also published as: EP3749820A1; WO2019152676A1; MX2019011707A; EP3749820B1; CN111902594A; EP3749820A4; US20190244501A1; US10930127B2

Abstract

The invention discloses an electronic article monitoring label and a cover label of the electronic article monitoring label for small-sized high-value durable goods, such as cosmetics, perfume, medicines, health products, DIY accessories and the like, but not limited to the above. The electronic article surveillance tag and cover tag include a flexible support having a bottom portion with a weak adhesive area and a top portion with a strong adhesive area.

Description

Electronic article monitoring label and method for sticking electronic article monitoring label on article

The present application claims priority to the invention entitled "electronic article surveillance tag" filed 2018, 2, month 5, in the united states, application number 62/626,536, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The invention relates to an electronic article surveillance tag. More particularly, the present invention relates to electronic article monitoring tags and cover tags for electronic article monitoring tags used for small, high-value durable goods such as, but not limited to, cosmetics, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, health products, wine, alcoholic beverages, DIY (self-made) accessories, and the like.

Background

Electronic article surveillance tags and RFID tags (collectively "EAS tags") are well known in the art, including U.S. patent nos. 7,023,343, 7,495,566, and 8,093,996, which are incorporated herein by reference.

Since the early birth of disposable EAS tags in the 80's last century, retailers have used billions of such small electronic circuits for items for purchase. In the retail market, EAS tags are often disguised as false bar codes on rigid good products. Such tags have an early impressive impact on reducing in-store theft since nobody could imagine that a bar code tag could actually be an electronic anti-store theft device that would trigger a large gate of anti-store theft at the store exit if the merchandise was not paid for and the EAS tag was not deactivated.

As shoplifters learn to identify and deactivate such tags, the effectiveness of such EAS tags has declined in recent years. The most common method of deactivation is simply to identify the EAS tag and remove the EAS tag from the merchandise it protects. In response to the above problems, EAS tag manufacturers have taken the following countermeasures: (a) reducing the size of such EAS tags to 60% to make them more covert; (b) security information such as "alarm system", "inventory management", or "do not remove" is pre-printed on the label to deter shoplifters; and (c) preprinting a store's logo on the tag to disguise the EAS tag as a marketing tag rather than a security tag. However, the effectiveness of such EAS tags continues to decline such that retailers have begun to utilize adhesive tape to completely wrap EAS tags around highly shrink products such as, but not limited to, cosmetics, perfumes, wine and alcohol drinks, small DIY products, in order to make the process of removing the tags more difficult for shoplifters. While this wrapping process improves the effectiveness of the EAS tag, it can have serious additional implications for retailers and end users who purchase products that are wrapped with adhesive tape around the EAS tag, and which sometimes is reinforced to prevent removal (or at least make it more difficult to remove).

The additional effects mentioned above include: (a) the time (and expense) of applying the security label is doubled by the need to apply the security label and then wrap the tape around the article and cut the tape; (b) for retail small cosmetics (nail polish, cosmetic pencil, lipstick, etc.) and products such as perfume (without limitation), removal of the wrap around label by the end user of such products can be time consuming and leave glue marks on the product that can result in a reduction in the aesthetics of the product (these glue marks result from the EAS label having strong permanent adhesive and the very strong adhesive that wraps around the tape); and (c) because the adhesive from the EAS tag and/or wrap-around tape can cause damage to the merchandise (at least aesthetically), professional retailers, such as, but not limited to, cosmetics and perfume retailers, and pharmacy/pharmacy retailers, cannot return unsold stock-protecting EAS tags, thereby placing an economic burden on the retailer.

The following problems arise in shops selling e.g. wine, spirits etc.: store personnel often damage product labels, such as wine labels with information about wine, when attempting to wrap an EAS label around the label with standard adhesive tape. This is because store personnel typically need to try at least twice to align the tape with the product label, requiring the tape to be torn off the product label and reattempted once. This "tear-off and retry" process typically tears off a portion of the product label, thereby rendering the product unsold.

The following problems arise in stores such as cosmetic stores and perfume stores: such products are typically displayed under an intense light illumination system that generates a significant amount of heat to the product, potentially adversely affecting the security tag and/or the wrap-around tape, including the integrity of the glue. For example, where a customer removes an EAS tag after purchasing the merchandise, or the merchandise is not sold by a retailer and returned to the manufacturer, the illuminating heat may exacerbate the problem of permanent marking/damage of the glue. In addition, if no additional wrap-around tape is used for the EAS tag on the product (e.g., nail polish or lipstick that is displayed in high light and generates excessive heat), the corners or outer edges of the EAS tag begin to come unstuck, so that shoplifters can more easily determine where the EAS tag is located, and the heat can affect the sale of such products, for example, they may stick together due to the exposed adhesive on the EAS tag.

Another challenge facing retailers in using EAS tags to protect or track highly contracted products is: metals used in the manufacture of certain products, such as deodorants made from metal cans, metal foils used in packaging products such as cosmetics and expensive wine, and liquids or semi-liquids inside products such as wine bottles or cans for dessert stalls, may partially or completely affect the detection or pick-up rate of EAS detection doors after a store checkout. That is, the EAS tags on these protected items may shield the electromagnetic signals emitted by the EAS doors.

Another challenge facing retailers in using EAS tags to protect or track highly contracted products is: retail and origin protection companies that apply EAS tags may have the possibility of attaching the EAS tag to the product packaging rather than to the product itself. When a shoplifter learns of this, he simply opens the package containing the product, such as a cosmetic or perfume, and removes the product leaving an empty package. This can cause collateral damage to honest shoppers, as they may find only an empty box when selecting and purchasing a product. Part of this problem has been addressed by a Security device commonly referred to as "spreader Wraps," which was originally developed by Alpha Security Products (Alpha Security Products) and includes an electronic alarm with EAS means that is wrapped around a product using a cable to sound an alarm when the packaging is tampered with. However, such equipment is expensive and difficult to use. For example, small products such as cosmetics and perfumes are in many cases smaller than these devices, requiring a large amount of manual labor to apply and remove at the point of sale. Another known security device that addresses this problem is a transparent plastic security case known as a "security case" (Safer), in which the item is locked within the plastic security case and must be opened by a clerk to remove the item.

As mentioned above, there are a number of drawbacks with current EAS tags used for small high value items. There is an urgent need for improved EAS tags for such articles. The above-described and other drawbacks of known EAS tags are overcome by the present invention.

Disclosure of Invention

To address the above challenges of existing EAS tags and wrap-around tapes, the present invention is directed to a cover Tag for use with known EAS tags, including, for example, RF tags and acoustic-magnetic tags manufactured and sold by All Tag corporation of bocardon, florida.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved EAS tag. The term "EAS tag" with reference to the present invention is intended to include a cover tag and a security element affixed to the cover tag, i.e., an EAS tag for attachment to an article.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an improved EAS tag for use with high value durable goods, sometimes referred to herein as "durable goods", such as, but not limited to, cosmetics, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, DIY accessories, and the like.

It is another primary object of the present invention to provide a cover tag for an EAS tag. The term "cover tag" with reference to the present invention is intended to include the EAS tags of the present invention with or without a security element.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an improved EAS tag that can be easily removed from the durable goods without leaving any traces on the durable goods.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an improved EAS tag and cover tag. The cover label may include a flexible support having a base and a top, wherein the base has a width greater than a width of the top; the base comprises a weakly adhered region applied to the product and an EAS tag on an opposite side of the flexible support from the weakly adhered region; the top includes a strong adhesive area to secure the flexible support to the product, wherein the flexible support may be wrapped around the product from the bottom and affixed to the product by a weak adhesive area, and wrapped around by a strong adhesive on the top to affix to the wrapped flexible support, thereby securing the cover label to the product. In addition, the EAS tag may be disposed on the same side of the weak adhesive region of the flexible support and may include a weak adhesive or a strong adhesive for contact with durable goods.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an improved EAS tag that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to apply to products.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an improved EAS tag that does not damage the product tag to which it is attached. However, if someone (a shoplifter) attempts to remove the EAS tag from the product tag, the product tag may become damaged, thereby making the product difficult or impossible to sell. In this embodiment, the EAS tag includes a base having a weak adhesion region, and the base includes a plurality of openings. An EAS tag top having a strong adhesive area is affixed to the bottom and covers the plurality of openings, the strong adhesive area being in contact with the product tag. If someone removes the EAS tag, the strong adhesive area in contact with the product tag may tear or damage the product tag, making the product difficult or impossible to sell. It is easy to apply an EAS tag having a weak adhesion area to a product tag, for example, if the bottom of the tag having the weak adhesion area is not properly aligned with the product tag, the person using the EAS tag may resume the application.

It is another principal object of the present invention to provide an EAS tag for attachment to a product label, such as a wine bottle label. The EAS tag includes a base having a weak adhesive area for initiating the attachment of the tag to the product tag, allowing store personnel the opportunity to peel the tag and resume use if the EAS tag is misaligned; the top is provided with a strong adhesive area with an EAS tag. If the EAS tag is removed, the strong adhesive may tear or otherwise damage the product tag, particularly when the necessary product information (such as, but not limited to, tax) on the product tag is torn off, making the product difficult or impossible to sell.

The present invention relates to an improved EAS tag and cover tag comprising a flexible support having a base and a top; the bottom portion has a greater width and a shorter length than the top portion and includes a weak removable adhesive on a first side of the flexible support; a safety element is stuck to the bottom of the second side of the flexible supporting body; the top portion has a smaller width and a longer length than the bottom portion, and has a strong adhesive area on the first side of the flexible support. Depending on the article to be secured, the base may have a greater width and a greater length than the top. The improved EAS tag and cover tag may further have one or more die cut areas in the intermediate portion of the flexible support to facilitate removal of the EAS tag from the article.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent based on the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The specific and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention described in detail below can be best understood with reference to the following drawings, wherein like structure is indicated by like numerals.

With reference to the following figures:

fig. 1A is a front view of an EAS tag with a radio frequency tag and a cover tag of the present invention.

Fig. 1B is a front view of an EAS tag with an acousto-magnetic tag and a cover tag of the present invention.

FIG. 1C is a side exploded view of the EAS tag and cover tag of FIG. 1A.

Fig. 2 is a front view of another embodiment of the EAS tag and cover tag of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the cover tag of the EAS tag of fig. 2 with the security element removed.

Fig. 4A-4D illustrate the EAS tag and cover tag of fig. 1 attached to an article.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate the EAS tag and cover tag of fig. 2 with a plastic divider separating the security element from the metal container so that the EAS tag and cover tag can be used with metal containers and the like.

Fig. 6A shows a modified embodiment of an EAS tag and cover tag in which the security element may be secured inside an article.

Fig. 6B shows the EAS tag of fig. 6A attached to an article.

Fig. 7 shows another modified embodiment of the EAS tag and cover tag.

Fig. 8 shows another modified embodiment of the EAS tag and cover tag.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1A-1C, there is shown an EAS tag and cover tag 10 comprising a flexible support 12, the flexible support 12 being adapted to receive a security, identifiable or traceable element 14, hereinafter referred to as a "security element". The security element may include, but is not limited to, an EAS tag, or a combination of EAS tags, antennas, or security devices such as RFID elements/antennas or electronic tags for one or more purposes of traceability, marketing, pricing, or inventory. Fig. 1A shows the security element 14 as an RF tag, and fig. 1B shows the security element 14 as an acousto-magnetic tag.

Flexible support 12 may be made of a transparent plastic material such as, but not limited to, polypropylene. Flexible support 12 includes a base 16(BS), the base 16 having a weak removable adhesive area 16A, the weak removable adhesive area 16A being designed to hold the flexible support 12 in place when wrapped around a product and to prevent shoplifters from pushing the flexible support 12 out of the product (e.g., lipstick). The weak removable adhesive area 16A may cover the entire base 16 or a portion of the base 16. The presently preferred weak adhesive is Airy's (Avery) removable adhesive that leaves no mark when the cover label is removed from the product. The weak adhesion area may comprise release paper 17 which is storable and easy to apply. The top portion 18(TS) has a strong adhesive area 18A located on the top of the label 10. The strong bond region 18A may cover the entire top 18 or a portion of the top 18. The presently preferred strong adhesive is the permanent adhesive of the UPM. The strong adhesive area is used to securely attach the cover label 10 to the product once wrapped around the product. The strong adhesive area may include release paper 17A that is storable and easy to apply. Although one or more release papers may be used,

release papers

17 and 17A are two separate papers that cover the entire flexible support 12 and are in contact at 17B, as shown in FIG. 1C. It is understood that other weak and strong adhesives may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

The specially shaped cover tag 10 is used to avoid strong adhesive areas from contacting the product or security element. More specifically, referring to fig. 1A and 1B, the shape may include (a) a smaller area/portion 18 of the tip where the strong adhesive is located; and (b) a larger area/portion 16 of the base/bottom of the flexible support where the weak adhesion areas are located. When (a) and (b) are satisfied, the preferred embodiment includes a middle region 19 that is the same size as the bottom region, the middle region 19 ensuring that the top region does not contact the product when the cover label is wrapped around the product. The intermediate region may also include the weak bond region shown in fig. 1C, but it is not essential. However, other shapes of cover labels can accomplish the same purpose. Generally, the top portion 18 of the cover label 10 has a smaller area than the bottom portion 16, and therefore, the top portion 18 does not contact the product wrapped with the cover label when the label is wrapped around the product.

Referring again to fig. 1A and 1B, optional die cut

lines

20 and 22 including perforations may be provided to allow a clerk or end user to remove the cover label without damaging the product to which the security element 14 is affixed. The security element 14 is affixed to the opposite side of the weakly bonded region of the flexible support. In a variant, the security element 14 can also be glued to the side of the flexible support having the weak adhesive areas. In addition, a printed area 26 may be provided, in which printed area 26 logo, deterrent or promotional information may be printed.

Referring to fig. 2, there is shown an EAS tag and cover tag 30 similar to the EAS tag and cover tag 10 having slightly different shapes and showing slightly different sample sizes, wherein the same numbers for the EAS tag and cover tag 10 are used to describe the EAS tag and cover tag 30. Fig. 3 shows the EAS tag and cover tag 30 of fig. 2 without the security element. The EAS tag and cover tag include a flexible support 12 for receiving a security element 14. Flexible support 12 includes a base 16(BS), base 16 having a weak removable adhesive area (not shown) designed to hold flexible support 12 in place when wrapped around a product and to prevent shoplifters from pushing flexible support 12 out of the product (e.g., lipstick). The weak adhesive area may include release paper (not shown) that may be stored and easily applied. The top 18 with the strong adhesive area is located on top of the label 30. The strong adhesive area is used to make the cover label 30 firmly attached to the product after wrapping the product. The strong adhesive area may also include a release paper (not shown) that can be stored and easily applied.

Like the EAS tag and the cover tag 10, the specially shaped cover tag 30 serves to avoid the strong adhesive area from contacting the product or the security element. More specifically, referring to fig. 2 and 3, the shape may include: (a) a smaller area/portion 18 of the tip where the strong bond area is located; and (b) a larger area/part 16 of the base/bottom of the flexible support where the weak adhesion areas are located. When (a) and (b) are satisfied, the preferred embodiment includes a middle region 19 of the same size as the bottom region, the middle region 19 serving to ensure that the top region does not come into contact with the product when the label is wrapped around the product. The intermediate region may also include a weak binder, but this is not essential. However, other shapes of cover labels can accomplish the same purpose. Typically, the top portion 18 of the cover label 30 is smaller in area than the bottom portion 16, so that the top portion 18 does not contact the product around which the cover label is wrapped when the label is wrapped around the product.

Referring again to fig. 2 and 3, optional die cut

lines

20 and 22 including perforations may be provided to allow a clerk or end user to remove the cover label without damaging the product to which the security element 14 is affixed. Furthermore, a recessed region 24 of the safety element can be included and a visual identification of the safety element can be marked on this recessed region. The security element 14 is affixed to the opposite side of the weakly bonded region of the flexible support. In a variant, the security element 14 can also be glued to the side of the flexible support having the weak adhesive areas. In addition, a printed area 26 may be provided, in which printed area 26 logo, deterrent or promotional information may be printed.

Referring to fig. 1-3, there are shown presently preferred embodiments of an EAS tag and a cover tag. The shape and size of the EAS tag and cover tag of the present invention may be adjusted according to the article to which the tag is to be applied. However, it is understood that other shapes and sizes may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 4A-4D show an article a, such as an eyelash and eyebrow care article, surrounded by an EAS tag with a flexible support 12 and having a security element 14 and a cover tag 10. In fig. 4A, the bottom area 16 with the weak adhesion areas is attached to the article a. The security element 14 is located on the opposite side of the weak adhesion region. The release paper layers 17 and 17A may be removed integrally before or while the label 10 is attached to the article a. As shown in fig. 4B, 4C, the EAS tag is wrapped around article a. Referring to fig. 4D, the release paper 17A has been removed and the top 18 with the strong adhesive area is stuck to the outside of the flexible support 12 and covers the security element 14. It will be appreciated that the top region may further wrap around the article a and may be adhered to other parts of the flexible support 12 at different locations of the article a.

It is appreciated that the EAS tag and cover tag may be sized to fit the entire package of articles, such as skin cream packages, to prevent shoplifters from opening the package, removing the articles, and then closing the package. In this case, the cover label is transparent so that the consumer sees all relevant brand information and product information. The cover label is removed by means of the perforation, whereby the cover label can be conveniently removed.

Referring to fig. 5A and 5B, these show the embodiment of the cover tag 10 shown in fig. 1A, 1B and 2, and further include a plastic partition 40, the plastic partition 40 serving to separate the security element 14 from the item D, in this case a metal deodorant can. Plastic separators may be used when the article is made of metal, has a metal foil, or contains a liquid or semi-liquid. This helps to isolate the security element from metal, metal foil or liquid/semi-liquid. Thereby preventing these materials from interfering with the detection of the security element by the EAS gate. The plastic partition 40 may be made of a flexible plastic such as, but not limited to, rubber.

Referring to fig. 6A and 6B, alternate embodiments of EAS tags and cover tags are shown. In this embodiment, the security element is affixed to the interior of an article M, such as, but not limited to, a carton containing a medicament. This embodiment includes an EAS tag having a flexible support 112 and a cover tag 100. The entire width of the cover label may be substantially equal, and the width may correspond to the width of the article M. The cover label 100 includes a security element 114 having a permanent adhesive such that the security element 114 is securely affixed to the interior of the article M. The security element 114 is attached to the cover label by means of a weak adhesive or a strong adhesive. The weak adhesive or strong adhesive may also be used to secure the cover label to the interior of the article M. In this example, the secure element 114 is an RF tag. Cover label 100 includes perforation line 122 and top portion 118, top portion 118 having a strong adhesive area and having a width less than the main portion of flexible support 112. In use, the cover label 100 is affixed to the interior of the article M by means of the permanent adhesive of the security element 114, and may also be affixed to the interior of the article M by means of the weak or strong adhesive of the cover label. The perforations 122 are generally on the exterior of the article M and the cover label is wrapped completely around the article M so that a strong adhesive area of the top 118 of the label adheres to the wrapped cover label so as not to interfere with the packaging of the article M. The cover label 100 is transparent so that all information on the article M is readable and not disturbed by the cover label. Since the end of the package of the article M is covered by the cover label, the cover label prevents a shoplifter from opening the article M. In this sense, if a shoplifter attempts to remove the cover label 100, the cover label will break at the perforation 122, thereby securing the security element 114 inside the box.

Referring to fig. 7, another alternate embodiment of an EAS tag and cover tag is shown. In this embodiment, the EAS tag and cover tag are intended to be wrapped around and covered by a product such as a jar. If the EAS tag is removed from the product, the product tag may be damaged, especially when the important product information on the tag is removed, resulting in the product being sold without a chance or a loss of sales in the subsequent market. This embodiment includes an EAS and cover tag 200 having a flexible support 212, the flexible support 212 having a first side and a second side. The width of the bottom 216 of the label is substantially uniform so as to wrap around the product. Base 216 has a weak adhesion area on the first side of flexible support 212, and the weak adhesion area may be located throughout the base to be wrapped around the product or only at the beginning of the base. On the opposite side of the weak adhesion area of the bottom 216 there is a security element 214. The base 216 has a plurality of openings 220, such as annular openings, to expose product labels of the products. Top portion 218 has a strong bonding area on a first side of support body 212 and has a narrower width than bottom portion 216. During use, the label is wrapped around a product, such as a can, and affixed to the product by means of the weak adhesive area. The weak adhesion area allows a user to reattach the EAS tag if it is not properly aligned and does not damage the product tag. The EAS tag 200 is attached to the product in a manner such that the top 218 with the strong adhesive area covers the security element 214 and the plurality of openings 220. The strong adhesive area is in contact with the product label via the opening 220. The cover label 200 may have one or more release papers covering the weak adhesion area and the strong adhesion area. If an attempt is made to remove the EAS tag 200 from the product, the cinched area that is adhered to the product tag may tear and cause the product tag to become damaged. Thus, the sales of the product in subsequent markets is reduced or unavailable because the consumer may not wish to purchase the damaged item, particularly when the EAS tag with the opening is located over important product information on the product tag.

Referring to fig. 8, another alternate embodiment of an EAS tag and cover tag is shown. In this embodiment, the EAS tag and the cover tag are preferably transparent, and are used for products such as wine bottles and tags attached to the products. This embodiment includes an EAS tag having a flexible support 312 and a cover tag 300. The cover label is approximately the same width (although other shapes may be used) and is not wrapped around the product but is a label affixed to the product. For example, EAS tags and cover tags may be in the range of 10cm to 15 cm. Cover label 300 includes a bottom 316 having a weak adhesive area and a top 318 having a strong adhesive area. The security element 314 is affixed to the strongly bonded region of the top 318. The cover label 300 may have one or more release papers covering the weak adhesion area and the strong adhesion area (not shown). During use, the release paper is removed and the weak adhesion area is brought into alignment with a portion of the product label. Once the cover label 300 is applied in order, the strong adhesive area with the security element 314 is affixed to the product label, the security element 314 being covered by the flexible support 312. If a shoplifter attempts to remove the cover label 300, the strong adhesive area may tear and cause damage to the product label, especially when the cover label covers important product information, which may result in reduced or no sales of the product in subsequent markets because the consumer may not wish to purchase the damaged item.

The EAS tag and cover tag of the present invention are described above as having a release paper to cover the adhesive area for storing and providing a plurality of tags to a customer. In a variation, the EAS tags may be stored on a roll and adhered to the back of the paper by an adhesive area with a gap between each EAS tag for removal and subsequent attachment of the EAS tag. In a variation, the back of the paper may include perforations to facilitate removal of the EAS tag from the EAS tag roll.

Accordingly, the present invention, which relates to EAS tags and cover tags, may have the following features:

A. a flexible cover label for wrapping around a product, comprising at least two different types of adhesive in two different regions, and comprising: (1) a strong permanent adhesive that secures the cover label to the product in an area when the cover label is fully wrapped around the product; and (2) a weak removable adhesive disposed in the second area that does not leave any traces when removed from the product, assists a user in locating the cover label when wrapped around the product, and prevents the cover label from sliding from side to side after being secured to the product.

B. A flexible cover label that does not leave any traces of adhesive on a product when it is removed because the area of the cover label containing the strong adhesive does not come into contact with the product.

C. A flexible cover tag that is wrapped around a product using two different adhesives, the security element being provided in a sandwich structure including, for example, but not limited to, an EAS tag, an RFID tag, a bar or QR code tag, a Tx, Rx or TRX antenna, or a printed visual ID image, number, code or similar image. This sandwich structure is formed when the security element is on the opposite side of the weakly bonded region of the cover label.

D. A flexible cover label for application to a product using two different adhesives, wherein the strong and weak adhesive regions are protected by a removable release paper so that a plurality of cover labels are stacked in a container without the adhesive around the cover labels coming into contact with the stacked labels. When the cover label is to be wrapped around a product, removing the release paper from the bottom of the label to expose the weak adhesive, and placing the cover label on the product; wrapping the cover label around the product; and removing the release paper on top of the cover label to expose the strong adhesive and properly secure the cover label to the product, thereby allowing the operator to easily apply the release paper.

E. For example, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, a flexible cover label is applied to a product using two different adhesives, wherein the strong adhesive does not accidentally (including misapplication) come into contact with the product due to the special shape of the cover label, which is defined as follows: (1) the top area where the strong adhesive is located has a smaller width than the bottom area where the weak adhesive is located; and the length of the top region where the strong adhesive is located may be longer than the length of the bottom region.

F. For example, as shown in fig. 3, different lengths of flexible cover labels are placed on a product using two different adhesives (a strong permanent adhesive and a weak removable adhesive) with a specific length C ═ a + B, where the cover label can be wrapped around the product to ensure that the strong adhesive does not contact the product, and length a is the maximum perimeter of the product.

G. A flexible cover label using two different adhesives (a strong permanent adhesive and a weak removable adhesive) has a special shape that prevents the strong adhesive from contacting the product once the cover label is wrapped around the product. In the example of fig. 3, the width D is smaller than the width E, and more specifically, E-47 mm and D-28 mm, for example, to ensure that the strong adhesive always matches the surface of the cover label when the cover label is fully wrapped around the product. As long as the width of D is smaller than the width of E, no wrap error occurs, so that the strongly adhesive region can be prevented from contacting the product.

H. A flexible cover label for placement on a product using two different adhesives (a strong permanent adhesive and a weak removable adhesive), wherein a security element is completely covered by the material of the flexible cover label to avoid contact of the adhesive at the end of the security element with other items or products in a retail display environment.

I. A flexible cover label for placement on a product using two different adhesives (a strong permanent adhesive and a weak removable adhesive) wherein a security element is always sandwiched between the two layers of the cover label in a sandwich configuration and never comes into contact with the product to which it is attached. This sandwich structure is formed when the security element is located on the opposite side of the weak adhesive area of the cover label.

J. A flexible cover label for placement on a product using two different adhesives, as described above, is long enough to wrap around the entire perimeter of a packaged product, such as a cosmetic product (without limitation), thereby locking a passage for removal of the product from the package, without affecting the design and brand of the product and/or the vital customer information that is hidden or covered because the cover label is transparent, and without leaving any tack or marks after removal of the flexible cover label.

K. As described above and shown in fig. 5A and 5B, a flexible cover label wrapped around a product or package wherein a separator is used to separate a security element from a product or package having metal, metal foil or liquid/semi-liquid. Such a separator may be made of a flexible, non-metallic material, such as a flexible transparent polymer, and wrapped around a bottle of wine, a small cosmetic product, or a deodorant in a shape matching the product. Such a spacer, which is affixed to the cover label, is provided with an EAS element on one side, said spacer being provided with a thickness of between a few millimetres and a few centimetres, preferably less than 4 centimetres, depending on the type of EAS tag used and the product it surrounds. The more metal or metal foil or liquid/semi-liquid contained in the product, the thicker the separator. The divider is designed to be reusable after removal by providing a pocket in the cover label for holding the divider.

The spirit of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein is not exhaustive or unnecessarily limiting the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the above description. Such modifications, which are within the purview of one skilled in the art, are included as part of the present invention and are included in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An EAS tag, characterized in that,

the EAS tag is affixed to an article by wrapping the EAS tag completely around the article,

the EAS tag includes a flexible support having a first side, a second side, a bottom, and a top;

the bottom portion having a width greater than a width of the top portion, the bottom portion including a weak removable adhesive area on the first side of the flexible support, and the weak removable adhesive area configured to be adhered to an article when initially wrapping the EAS tag around the article;

a security element affixed to the bottom of the first or second side of the flexible support;

the width of the top portion is smaller than the width of the bottom portion, and the top portion has a strong adhesive area on the first side of the flexible support,

wherein the flexible support is configured to wrap completely around the article from the bottom of the flexible support.

2. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the length of the bottom portion is less than the length of the top portion.

3. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the flexible support also includes an intermediate portion between the bottom portion and the top portion.

4. An EAS tag as recited in claim 2,

5. An EAS tag as claimed in claim 3,

the intermediate portion includes a weak removable adhesive area on the first side of the flexible support.

6. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the security element includes an EAS tag or a combination of an EAS tag, an antenna and an RFID element.

7. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

further comprising a release paper covering at least the weak removable adhesive area and the strong adhesive area.

8. An EAS tag as recited in claim 7,

the EAS tag includes at least one set of perforations.

9. An EAS tag as recited in claim 8,

the release paper covers the entire flexible support.

10. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the security element is affixed to the second side of the flexible support.

11. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the flexible support comprises an insert region for receiving the safety element.

12. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the flexible support includes a print area and printed information within the print area.

13. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

a spacer between the second side of the flexible support and the security element is also included.

14. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

the flexible support is made of plastic.

15. An EAS tag as recited in claim 1,

further comprising a plurality of openings disposed in the bottom portion and configured to be covered by the strong adhesion area of the top portion.

16. A method for attaching an EAS tag to an article, wherein,

the bottom portion has a width greater than a width of the top portion and comprises a weak removable adhesive area on the first side of the flexible support;

the method is characterized in that it consists in,

the method comprises the following steps:

wrapping an EAS tag about an article with the first side of the bottom portion of the EAS tag having the weak removable adhesive region for the article, and securing the EAS tag to the second side of the wrapped EAS tag with the strong adhesive region of the top portion of the EAS tag.

17. The method of claim 16,

the security element is affixed to the second side of the flexible support, the flexible support further includes an intermediate portion between the bottom portion and the top portion, and the intermediate portion includes a weak removable adhesive area on the first side of the flexible support.

18. The method of claim 17,

19. The method of claim 18,